Method for sensing side impacts in a vehicle

ABSTRACT

In a method for side impact sensing in a vehicle, a side impact is recognized using acceleration signals, the acceleration signals from the left and right sides of the vehicle being subtracted from one another, integrated or added up, and the triggering threshold is formed as a function of this differential acceleration signal. If the integrated differential acceleration signal exceeds this threshold, a side impact is recognized.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0001] The present invention is directed to a method FOR side impact sensing in a vehicle according to the preamble of the independent claim.

[0002] Acceleration measurements are used for side impact sensing, decentralized peripheral acceleration sensors (PAS) in particular. They are mounted in the physical proximity of the impact site to compensate for signal delays and signal attenuation. Typical installation sites include the rocker panel, the seat cross member, or the B pillar.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The side impact sensing method in a vehicle according to the present invention, having the features of the independent claim, has the advantage over the related art that the acceleration signals from the left and right sides of the vehicle are intelligently combined by the control unit. Thus only one signal is processed to detect a side impact, so that the computing complexity for two signals becomes superfluous. Vehicle vibrations which occur in the event of hard driving maneuvers, known as misuse, contain no side motion components, which increases the difference from the triggering signals. In this case, the effect of the vehicle motion in the event of a side impact is utilized in particular. The side motion is detectable by all y acceleration sensors, i.e., sensors which detect side motion, and is superimposed on the corresponding side due to the intrusion in the event of a side impact. The motion of the vehicle and a filtered intrusion signal are visible on the opposite side and in the control unit. Thus, triggering reliability vis-a-vis non-triggering events is increased by combining the signals.

[0004] Advantageous improvements on and refinements of the side impact sensing method in a vehicle defined in the independent patent claim result by the measures defined in the subordinate claims.

[0005] It is particularly advantageous that the differential acceleration signal is filtered prior to forming the threshold in order to avoid in particular signals that would cause triggering in a non-triggering situation, i.e., in the event of misuse.

[0006] Finally, it is also advantageous that a device for side impact sensing, which has appropriate acceleration sensors and the control unit, is provided to implement the method.

DRAWING

[0007] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawing and explained in detail in the description that follows.

[0008]FIG. 1 shows a top view of the device according to the present invention, and

[0009]FIG. 2 shows a block diagram which illustrates the method according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

[0010] Side impact sensing is particularly critical due to the short deformation zone between the occupants and the impacting object in the event of a side impact; yet, it is important that erroneous triggering be avoided in this case.

[0011] Side impact situations are recognized according to the present invention by acceleration sensors, the acceleration signals from the acceleration sensors on the left and right sides of the vehicle being subtracted from one another to form a differential acceleration signal. A differential speed signal is determined from the differential acceleration signal by integration, and the triggering threshold is formed as a function of the differential acceleration signal. If the differential speed signal exceeds the threshold, a side impact is recognized, and restraining means may possibly be deployed; if it is below the threshold, no side impact requiring deployment of restraining means exists.

[0012]FIG. 1 schematically shows a top view of the device according to the present invention in a vehicle. A vehicle 1 has peripheral acceleration sensors 2 and 3 on the right side. Front sensor 2 is installed on the seat cross member in this case. The rocker panel and the B pillar are additional installation sites. Rear sensor 3 is mounted on the C pillar. The rocker panel and seat cross member are additional installation sites. Sensors 2 and 3 are connected to data inputs and outputs of a control unit 6. Sensors 4 and 5, which are also acceleration sensors and are located on the left side of the vehicle being mounted symmetrically on the seat cross member and on the C pillar, are connected to control unit 6 via data inputs and outputs, for example via a bus. Conventional two-wire lines are, however, also conceivable.

[0013] The acceleration signals are transmitted by acceleration sensors 2 through 5 to control unit 6 as digital data. For this purpose, each of sensors 2 through 5 has a measuring amplifier, a measuring filtering device, and an analog/digital converter. As an alternative, the analog/digital conversion may also take place in control unit 6, for example; electromagnetic interference signals must be taken into account in this case.

[0014] Control unit 6 computes the triggering algorithm as a function of the signals of acceleration sensors 2 through 5. In addition, control unit 6 itself has acceleration sensors for the x and y directions to test the acceleration signals from the peripheral acceleration sensors for plausibility.

[0015]FIG. 2 describes this triggering algorithm. Two acceleration signals a_(yleft) and a_(yright) are subtracted from one another in block 7, yielding acceleration signal a_(ydiv). This differential acceleration signal a_(ydiv) is integrated in block 8 to generate differential speed signal Δv_(ydiv) and is also filtered in block 9 to generate filtered signal a_(yfilter). Filtering in block 9 is performed as a function of an integration time t_(integ). The threshold with which differential acceleration signal Δv_(ydiv) is compared is computed in block 10 on the basis of filtered acceleration signal a_(yfilter). The threshold is then labeled as Δv_(yth) and the threshold value comparison is performed in block 11. If the differential acceleration signal exceeds threshold Δ_(v) _(yth), a triggering event is recognized, and restraining means are deployed as a function of the classification of the occupants. If the differential speed signal is less than the threshold, no triggering situation exists. This algorithm is then executed on an ongoing basis as a function of acceleration signals 2 through 5. The direction of the side impact is recognized, for example, in control unit 6 via its own acceleration sensors for the y direction. The plus or minus sign of the integrated y acceleration signal is used in particular for determining the direction. This makes it possible to deploy restraining means according to the situation.

[0016] Filtering is performed in two stages. First the slope of the acceleration signal is limited to eliminate hard driving maneuvers that exhibit acceleration signals having very high slopes as misuse. Second, a zero-frequency component is subtracted from the acceleration differential signal to prevent the threshold from becoming excessively high. The zero-frequency component and the slope limitation are performed as a function of time.

[0017] The algorithm to be used is freely selectable and does not depend on the method. Opposite sensors 2 through 5 and 3 through 4 form pairs which are combined. Each pair is then evaluated by an algorithm of its own according to FIG. 1. This makes it possible to perform the plausibility test in adjacent pairs or in control unit 6. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for side impact sensing in a vehicle (1), at least one acceleration sensor (2 through 5) being used on each side of the vehicle for side impact sensing, wherein a differential acceleration signal is generated from the acceleration signals by subtraction; the differential acceleration signal is integrated or added up to yield a differential speed signal; and, for side impact sensing, the differential speed signal is compared to a threshold which is formed as a function of the differential acceleration signal.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the differential acceleration signal is filtered prior to forming the threshold.
 3. A device for side impact sensing as recited in one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the acceleration sensors (2 through 5) are connectable to a control unit (6) for restraining means, which has acceleration sensors for plausibility testing and computes an algorithm for side impact sensing. 